A Manchester United legend who won the Champions League with the club is still playing – and most people don’t know.
Nani made 147 appearances for United and bagged 25 goals during his time there. The former Portuguese international was an iconic player in the later years of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at the Red Devils. He won four Premier League titles, two League Cups and the European Cup against Chelsea in Moscow in 2008.
The winger, who turns 38 today, Sunday, November 17, was brought to United for £17m from Sporting CP. He joined his international team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo who he actually lived with at the beginning of his career at Old Trafford. Nani was seen as a long-term successor to CR7, who would join Real Madrid two years later.
However, after two poor years towards the end of his United career, which saw him get just one league goal each year, Nani left the club. With a cabinet full of trophies and memorable moments, such as his goal against Tottenham when he put the ball into an empty net following Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes’ confusion, many fans don’t know where he is now.
After leaving United in 2015, he played in Europe for clubs like Fenerbahce and Valencia, but he never returned to the player he once was, despite starring alongside Ronaldo when Portugal won the Euros in 2016.
(Image: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In 2019 he made the seemingly common move to the MLS with Orlando City where he was rather more successful. Within the last two years alone, Nani has played for four clubs. Across these four teams, he has started a total of 57 games with only five goals.
These were in Italy, Australia, Turkey and now ending up in his home country of Portugal, with Primeira Liga club Estrela da Amadora. That’s a lot of house hunting. He’s also done all this with his wife and child by his side.
(Image: Stuart Robinson)
(Image: Man Utd via Getty Images)
His current club Amadora are 15th in the Portuguese league. Although on the pitch he hasn’t been so busy, with one goal to his name, off the pitch, Nani has got himself involved with controversy.
Outside Amadora’s stadium, a supporter asked Nani to sign a Portuguese kit from the Euros 2016. This was an unofficial jersey which they had purchased online. Although he looked ready to sign the shirt, he instead grabbed the shirt from the fan and placed it on his passenger seat and then proceeded to drive off.
He did later apologise, saying he did it out of ’emotion’ as he thought it was an important shirt from his collection. Many of the wingers match-worn jerseys have been stolen previously.